


We Won't Run

by Jikookiejar



Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff, Gratuitous comma usage, M/M, Newt Lives, Newt and Alby get some closure because I need it, References to Depression, References to attempted suicide, Safe Haven, The Death Cure, i'm a sap, soft, tdc, the tiniest bit of angst, very soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 06:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14074503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jikookiejar/pseuds/Jikookiejar
Summary: “Why d’ya care so much? And besides, why does it matter? I’m dead, remember?” Bitter, Newt was so bitter he could taste it in his mouth.“Dying, Newt. And you have a choice to make.” Newt looked at Alby, confusion written on his face.“What choice?”Or, after some words of wisdom from Alby, Newt returns to the land of the living to live the life he deserves.





	We Won't Run

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this mostly to cope after seeing The Death Cure. Newt deserved to live, and to be by Thomas' side. End of story.

_ Guess you couldn’t keep your promise after all. But then again, neither could I. I’m sorry. _

  
  


White. Everything was white, but not blinding. Newt sat up, blinking. A horizon line blurred into view, and maybe the sound of--

“The ocean? That would’ve been nice, back in the Glade.” 

Newt flinched and whipped his head around. Alby stood, not five feet from him, staring at the now vivid ocean waves crashing against sand.

“A-Alby? What...where the hell am I? Am I dead?” Newt started to push off the floor, but Alby laid a hand on his shoulder and sat down next to him instead. 

“Can we get closer? And feel the wind? I’ve never been to the ocean. At least, not that I can remember,” Alby asked, glancing at Newt. Incredulous, Newt shook his head.

“What’re you bloody asking me for?”

“Just think it Newt,” Alby snorted. Newt blinked, and suddenly, they were on sand, wind ruffling their hair. There was nothing else. No buildings or piers or people. Just the beach, for miles and miles.

“What is this place Alby?” 

“Not really sure. We call it the ‘In-between’. Not life, but not death either.” Alby turned to study Newt. He didn’t seem too freaked out. Actually, he didn’t seem freaked out at all; more...resigned.

“So I really am dead then.”

“No, you’re dying.” 

“Thanks for the clarification,” Newt scoffed. They sat in silence for a while, not entirely sure of what to say. The salt spray from the waves was nice though. Calming.

“I don’t blame you, you know. For any of it,” Alby said. He could always tell what was on Newt’s mind, even when he refused to voice it. Newt picked at the fabric of his pants, refusing to look up. They were clean, he noted, not covered in blood and that nasty black bile he’d started coughing up sometime earlier. 

“Doesn’t mean I don’t feel shitty about it,” He muttered. A hand patted his back, and Newt finally looked back up. Alby was smiling, genuinely. He looked peaceful. 

“Don’t. And I don’t blame Thomas for anything either.” Just the name had Newt’s blood running cold, as if that knife was stuck in his chest again. Tommy...Newt would never see him again. Never touch him again. Never...he’d never be able to tell him. A bitter scoff bubbled up in him. He’d broken the one promise he’d made to himself, and Thomas wouldn’t even know.

“Jeez, sorry. Didn’t know you’d have a mental breakdown just at the mention of his  _ name _ . Though I guess I should have,” Alby snorted, patting Newt’s back again. His anguish must have shown on his face.

“What do you mean?” Newt choked out. Alby squinted his eyes at Newt.

“Newt, you’re not serious. I know you’re not that stupid, and neither am I. Even back when we were in the maze, I could tell you were in love with him.” The world (or not-world) suddenly tilted as Newt blanched.

“What’re you talking about? I wasn’t...I mean,  _ I _ didn’t even know until after...after we got away from WCKD.” It was cruel, Newt thought. Pain was non-existent here, but he could definitely feel embarrassment and mortification creeping up his throat, constricting it. Alby’s laugh echoed across the ocean, pulling Newt out of his own head.

“You might not have realized it then, but that doesn’t mean nobody else did,  _ mate _ ,” Alby teased, “Anyone with eyes and good common sense could tell you treated him differently than the rest. Looked at him differently. Even when you didn’t want to be, you were soft on him. S’okay though, he’s good for you.” 

Newt really didn’t even know where to go from there. The questioned spilled from his lips before he could stop it.

“You were...okay with it?” 

“He made you want to live again. Gave you a reason to hope for a better life. I remember when…” Alby paused. This had always been a sensitive topic with Newt. He hadn’t wanted to talk about the jump, ever. But Newt wasn’t stopping him now. 

“I remember looking at you and seeing nothing. You were lifeless. You didn’t care whether you lived or died. Then that greenie shows up and all of a sudden you wanna fight. I was glad for that, at least,” Alby muttered, staring out at the ocean. Newt didn’t say a word, and when Alby finally looked back, he was squinting at him.

“What?”

“You’re much...calmer.”

“And  _ you’re _ changing the subject.” Rolling his eyes, Newt clenched his fists around handfuls of sand. The ocean breeze kicked up, throwing his hair into his eyes. He didn’t bother to push it back.

“Why d’ya care so much? And besides, why does it matter? I’m dead, remember?” Bitter. Newt was so bitter he could taste it in his mouth. Like iron and dry herbs. Like blood. Like the crank insanity, slowly clawing at his brain, twisting words and thoughts and feelings until they were no longer his own. 

He was so angry at the world for refusing to let him take his own life, for giving him the smallest amount of hope, only to rip it away from him in the worst way possible. So bitter.

“Dy _ ing _ , Newt. And you have a choice to make.” Newt looked at Alby, confusion written in the lines of his frown.

“What choice?”

“If you want, you can choose to stay here with me. With Chuck and Winston and Ben and the others, in a place where you no longer feel pain and don’t have to live every day in fear for your life. Or, you can go back to him. It’s your choice.” Alby really meant it, Newt could tell. That life here would be peaceful. He could live without fear. Alby himself looked a thousand times better, less angry at the world. A place without fear, excruciating sadness, pain; Newt looked down at his fully healed leg. Yes, that place sounded wonderful.

“You’re right. He gave me a reason to start over. I love him. I have to go back,” Newt sighed. Once the words were out, his mind was made up. Alby looked satisfied, as if this was the answer he’d wanted as well. Even as he spoke, Newt could feel the tug, could feel himself fading from this world.

“Do me and him a favor yeah? Tell him that? And tell him thank you, for taking care of you and Minho. And that I don’t blame him. We’ll all be waiting for you, when the right time comes.” Alby smiled, laying a hand on Newt’s shoulder, one last time. Newt tried to say goodbye, but he was already gone.

  
  


 

A gasp. Pressure. God his chest hurt, like fire burning through his veins. There was someone on top of Newt, mumbling incoherent words. And someone else behind him, shouting.

“Thomas get off! He can’t breathe you idiot!” That was Brenda, doing the yelling, which meant…

“Tommy!” Newt gasped as soon as Thomas backed off, but stayed bent over Newt. Dirt caked his face and his eyes were rimmed red, but he was here, Tommy was  _ here _ and--

Newt struggled to raise his hand, just enough to graze Thomas’ tear-stained cheek.

“I’m alive?” Newt murmured. Thomas nodded weakly, not trusting his own voice.

“You’re alive?” Fresh tears fell from his eyes, but Thomas nodded again. Newt smiled, before dropping his hand back down.

“Good.” The darkness took over.

  
  
  


Three days. They’d been at the Safe Haven for three days and Newt still hadn’t woken up. Thomas had spent the first twenty-four hours pacing outside his room because the doctors wouldn’t let him in. A nurse (the doctor’s assistant they explained) found him slumped against the wall just outside the door that night and took pity on him. She gave him a warning look as she guided him into the room and to an empty cot beside the bed where Newt lay. He looked up to say thank you, only to have it die in his throat. A finger pointed at him accusingly, and the look on her face screamed  _ no funny business _ . Thomas nodded, and lay down, facing Newt.

The boy looked peaceful, no hint of pain or discomfort on his face as he slept, and Thomas let that thought lull him into sleep. 

  
  
  


The next time Newt awoke, the chaos was gone, replaced by...a warm breeze and the distant crash of ocean waves against a beach. For a moment, Newt thought he must be back in the In-between, until a soft voice spoke his name.

“Newt?”

“Tommy,” Newt murmured. Even the air seemed to freeze for a moment. Ringing blared in Newt’s ears, and he shook his head in an attempt to get rid of it. Thomas was sitting on a cot next to Newt’s looking like he hadn’t slept in ages but...healthy. There were no serious wounds on him, as far as Newt could tell. Newt blinked, his mind surprisingly clear and alert. 

Thomas laughed. “You’re awake.” He reached out involuntarily, his fingers brushing Newt’s shirt before dropping. “You’re  _ here _ .”

The tears welling in Thomas’ eyes broke Newt’s heart, and he reached down to grab Thomas’ hand. The metal tube hanging from Thomas’ neck wasn’t lost on him.

“I’m here. Are you okay?” He murmured, needing to know that Thomas was alright. A booming laugh burst from Thomas, startling Newt. Thomas brushed Newt’s hair away from his face, seemingly without realizing he was doing it. Not that Newt minded.

“You just survived the shucking Flare, and you’re asking me if  _ I’m _ okay. I’m amazing, fantastic! I’m...really really glad you’re alive, Newt,” Thomas said, genuinely smiling for the first time in a long while. A warmth bloomed in Newt’s chest at the sound of his name rolling off Thomas’ tongue. He wanted Thomas to say his name a thousand times; whisper it, cry it, moan it. Biting his lip, Newt tried to silence his now frantic mind. After all, he had time now, to figure it all out.

“I’m really glad too, Tommy.”  
  


 

 

The next few days were a whirlwind of doctors and friends and sleep and Tommy. Newt was exhausted but he’d never been so happy in his life. After he’d woken up and the doctors had given him the initial okay, they let the rest of their friends visit Newt. 

Minho was there in an instant, bowling him over with a crushing hug. He looked okay, and was smiling. There might have been a tear or two, though Minho would never admit to it. Fry, Brenda, Sonya, Harriet, and Aris were there too, chattering away. Even Vince and Jorge stopped by to check on him. 

Newt noticed the absence of Teresa, but didn’t mention it to Thomas. He didn’t want to disturb the peaceful smile on the boy’s face, not so soon after, anyway. 

Getting back on his feet took a couple frustrating days, but Thomas was always there, helpful but not too pushy. Newt almost fell to the floor in relief when he’d been given the all-clear; no Flare. The doctors allowed Thomas to take him to the beach to celebrate, though only for a couple of hours. Exhaustion settled in Newt's bones after only walking the hallway. He was tempted to turn down the offer, but Thomas was smiling, bright and carefree, and Newt let him lead him to the beach without a word.  

  
  
  


“I saw Alby,” Newt started. He’d mulled it over for days, trying to figure out how to start this conversation. Thomas looked down at Newt, where his head was nestled in Thomas’ lap.

“What? When?” The piece of driftwood he was leaning against dug into his back, and he shifted down a bit to relieve the pressure. Newt was stretched out on the sand, parallel to the log. The ocean held his attention for a minute longer, before he shifted to stare up at Thomas. 

“When I was...dying. I was in this place. Anything I imagined, it just appeared. And Alby was there.” Thomas stared back at him, a small frown tugging at his lips. He hated it when Newt mentioned his almost-death, but Newt had to say it.

“Did he say anything?” Thomas asked, not even questioning Newt’s sanity. His expression told Newt he believed him.

“He said that he doesn’t blame you for anything,” Newt spoke, nodding, “He doesn’t blame me either. He said to tell you thank you, for looking after Minho and I. And that, they’re waiting for us, when we’re ready.”

Thomas took a deep breath, holding it in a few seconds before sighing. The relief he felt was a bit of a surprise, but there’d always been a part of him that felt guilty toward Alby. He had taken away everything from the man, his position as leader, his second-in-command, his home, his family. All of that Thomas had taken away, and he couldn’t even save Alby as a thank you (or an apology).

“Good. I’m glad. I wish I could’ve apologized,” Thomas murmured, glancing back down at Newt. There was hesitation there, written plainly on his face. He fought back the urge to trace the lines of Newt’s frown.

“Was there...did he say something else?” Newt opened his mouth, then closed it again. This secret, he’d kept for so long. This secret, he promised wouldn’t amount to anything. This secret, he promised he would take to the grave. And here it was, about to not be a secret anymore. Newt closed his eyes. 

“He also told me...that I should just man up, and tell you that I’m in love with you. That I’ve been in love with you, since the bloody maze, and that I will always love you, no matter what.”

Newt kept his eyes closed, his confession leaving him breathless. But a weight lifted off his shoulders, and he felt lighter than he had in, well...a really long time. 

Silence. There was only silence, and Newt was tempted to peek at Thomas through his eyelashes, until a drop of rain splashed on his cheek. Except it wasn’t raining. Blinking open his eyes, Newt found Thomas hunched over him, his own eyes closed, but he was crying. 

“Tommy,” Newt murmured, raising his hand back up to cup Thomas’ cheek, brushing the tears away with his thumb. Thomas forced his eyes open at the touch.

“Newt, you have to know. You  _ have _ to know I love you too. That I’ve loved you since--” Newt pulled himself up from Thomas’ lap, curling his arms over Thomas’ shoulders and into his hair.

“Shh, I know Tommy. I know.” 

Thomas buried his tears in Newt’s shoulder, the hand petting his hair calming him. When the hiccups stopped, Newt pulled back just enough to brush his thumb across Thomas’ cheek. Thomas searched Newt’s eyes for any indication of fear, but there was none. Newt was calm, at peace. A small smile began to stretch it’s way across Newt’s lips, and Thomas tilted his head to lean his forehead against Newt’s. 

“Love you, so much,” He whispered, breath ghosting over Newt’s lips. Newt leaned forward, just a little, pressing his lips against Thomas’ in a gentle kiss.

“Love you, Tommy. And now I’ve got forever to show you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos/comments are much appreciated ^.^  
> I read this series about 5 years ago now. I can't believe it's really over.
> 
> jikookiejar.tumblr.com


End file.
